


over jewellery and hearts

by thirdmoon



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Assassins & Hitmen, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Slow Burn, bodyguards, but it's just sexual tension, criminals au, is this what people call it these days?, ish, thieves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28988919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdmoon/pseuds/thirdmoon
Summary: Enter: Doyoung and Taeyong.Between them a job, a life, jewellery and a gun.Hearts aren't allowed in here."May the best win tonight."
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	over jewellery and hearts

**Author's Note:**

> hiii ♡  
> this is basically my take on 'be gay, do crimes' and i had a lot of fun coming up with this plot
> 
> it might be a little ominous at the beginning, but everything is explained along the way
> 
> much love to mae, my beta and partner in crime (づ￣ 3￣)づ
> 
> _[moodboard ](https://pin.it/4HAhCgO) ___

24.01.2020

08:30 PM.

Dongyoung parks his motorcycle in the underground parking lot, carefully taking off his helmet and jacket before smoothing any creases in his dark navy blue suit and carding his fingers a few times enough on his hair until the gel loosens up and he can freely thread them through it. He goes over to the elevator room and takes the stairs until he’s on the ground floor. Unlocking the door, he goes outside. He figures entering through the main door might be more appropriate. He makes way to the end of the small line dispersed along a red carpet coming from the imponent building’s entrance when his eyes fling over a head of fluffy red hair. The corner of his lip tilts up and he runs over to the said man, taking just a moment to pretend he’s composing himself, leaning on the flustered man’s arm, who Dongyoung guesses it is either because of the guard not letting him in or just because of himself. That’s just as valid. He straightens and, when he speaks, he makes sure it comes a little breathless.

“Hi, yes hello. I’m sorry for taking so long, the parking lot is like a maze, i couldn’t help not getting lost. He’s my plus one. I was told i could bring one.”

The guard looks at him and gives a once over to his list. Doungyoung does the same. “The name, sir.”

“Doyoung, Kim Doyoung. Will you also need his name?” He properly intertwines their arms this time.

“There’s no need sir.” He ticks the name and opens the velvety strap, granting them passage. “Very well. Enjoy your evening. “

Doyoung, with his hand on the other’s back, a bit too low than the socially acceptable, makes them both slightly bow, before trudging through the ivory double doors and inside the main hall, his hand still pushing the other man forward, who without it would probably stay rooted to his spot, if is slack jaw and panicking eyes running across Doyoung’s face is anything to go by.

“Do-Doyoung?“ The man sputters when they reach the small makeshift bar where a barman prepares some fancy cocktails. His eyes linger in a couple of men scattered through the place, either talking with someone over drinks in the round ivory stools, all decorated with an arrangement of white carnations and delphiniums, along with small bushes of lavender, to mask the smell. He’s proud of those The other simply appreciates the exhibited artworks, slowly controlling all the people that near the star of the night.

Doyoung knows the man hadn’t come alone, but he’s making his job almost too easy.

“I’m glad i caught you before they did." He tilts his head to the doors they came from. "There’s no fun in an event like this without someone to indulge me.” Doyoung says after ordering two drinks for them, turning and winking at the man who was leaning on the counter and still racing his eyes across the room, not even batting an eye when Doyoung gives him his drink. He guesses he isn’t a picky one.

“Let’s go. Give me your most dazzling smile and loudest silence. We have some gentlemen to greet.”

The man props himself away from the bar and looks dumbfoundedly at Doyoung, trailing after him because the thought of not following him, which he shouldn’t be doing, doesn’t even cross his mind. “Are you making me play trophy wife?”

Doyoung, who had now stopped, turns his head to the side to smile at him and turns to his front again, leaning slightly on a stool with his arm stretched forward. “Care to accept?” He says as he slides his glass to the woman in front of him. She looks up, recognizing the person talking to her, her formal smile slowly giving way to a more genuine one, answering him.

“Would you look at who graced us with his presence. And here i thought you had slept with me just to get an invite to this place.“ She snickers as she slowly moves closer, speaking the last part more hushedly, as to not draw attention from nearby people. Doyoung smirks as he leans to her ear to whisper.

“I can recall quite a few places more worthy to have you above this gala. Last night can serve as an example.” Her cheeks ting red underneath the makeup and, slowly, she puts some distance between them to acknowledge the other person there with them.

“I think i might need more demonstrations to account you true to your word. But for now, do tell, who might your companion be?” The man seems a little perplexed, his eyes jumping back and forward from Doyoung to the person who inquired him.

“Good evening miss, i’m Kim Jungwoo, i’m-” He doesn’t even have time to even conjure a credible lie since the woman beats him to it and excitedly introduces Jungwoo for himself.

“Is he _the_ Jungwoo you’re always talking about?” Her eyes shimmer in curiosity as her eyebrows slightly raise. “Your brother is very proud of you, i can see now why he never shuts up.” She says as she, not so subtly, checks Jungwoo.

“Oh my, don’t tell him that. We don’t want his ego over the moon, now do we?” Doyoung feigns embarrassment, or maybe not, his praises for the man were usually meant, and lunges his hands up to Jungwoo’s ears, doing a covering motion, before carefully slipping his hands away. Jungwoo looks at him annoyed and whisper-shouts to convey his disdain.

“So you made me the trophy brother. _Great.”_ Doyoung just smiles at him and sticks the tip of his tongue out. He then asks.

“Jungwoo, could you go get me a drink? I forgot to bring one for myself.“ He flutters his eyelashes at the begrudgingly retreating boy and turns back at the woman, who’s nursing the drink he brought her looking at him over her glass.

“If you’ll excuse me now, i’ll go catch some fresh air before proceeding with the presentations. Don’t want to pass as rude, or they might not invite me to the next event.” He excuses himself as she lightly laughs and makes his way to the back of the room, where glass panels adorn the entire wall, from the floor up until the ceiling, the chandeliers having their light refracted by it and the whole city easily viewed from there. He exits to a small balcony, small compared only to everything in that building. He breathes in deeply, propping one arm on the railing and with the other inserting a small thing into his ear.

“Ah, rookies these days, think they know it all from the books and then lose all sense.” A little static noise is heard before being broken by a clear voice.

“Why do you have Jungwoo’s comm, Dongyoung?” Doyoung smiles and is almost sure Taeil is fighting his own smile too.

“Hi hyung, it’s been a while.” Nostalgia stings like a bitch but he doesn’t blame them. He only feels grateful towards them. He hears Taeil softy sigh before speaking. “It has, hasn’t it? You know where to find me though.“

“I’m pretty sure you know where to find me as well.” He says and then quietly laughs to himself, already predicting what’s coming from the other.

“And i'm sure you know i only do it for professional means.” Doyoung nods even if he’s aware Taeil can’t see him.

“Do you know him?” Oh? Doyoung raises a brow at this. He hasn’t heard this voice in a while. If he recalls correctly, the face he places on this voice is from Donghyuck, code name in this operation Sun.

“I deemed it necessary only to tell that to the boss, Sun.” Donghyuck must be inside the hall with the faint background noise heard when he answers Taeil back. Doyoung resumes despite it.

“Oh? I see you have a bit of a catch up to do. I’ll leave you to it.” Anyone who sees Doyoung right now would've figured he is just spaced out. That could be true if his eyes weren’t focused on a particular building roof. He’s too far to try and make out more than the outline of said building. Still.

“And i hope you’re still smart as i taught you Yuta hyung, because-”

“Yes yes bro, of course, remember _i_ was the one who taught you. I saw it the moment i got here. Care to enlighten me about it’s utility?” Yuta laughs into the earpiece, looking at the small case laying open in between his legs, always amused by the smallest things.

“Well, since our jobs align of some sorts, yesterday i marked potential enemies to your employer. As the co-host of this event, the list isn’t short so i couldn’t mark them all. Still, i used chemical fluorochromes that stick to the clothes and are intransmissible. Its radiation lasts almost three days so you should be good. I changed your scope by adding a dichroic mirror and the glass walls should act as an excitation filter, so you’ll see the targets emitting a blueish, greenish light.” As Doyoung instructs, he can hear through the comm Yuta setting up his rifle.

“Does it work?” Doyoung asks after a few seconds, doing a little wave with his hand.

“I’m seeing you a bit Grinchy so i guess it does.” Yuta says as he snorts at the sight of a neon sign Doyoung and then moves his shoulders, for his body to accompany the rifle movement as he takes in the luxurious hall and spots other glistening people. The glass windows somewhat distort their colours, tending for a yellower green than the one Doyoung is emitting.

“Well, it’s only fair, i suppose.” Doyoung looks back inside and sees a frantic Jungwoo looking for him. He resembles a lost puppy steering around the tables and checking if Doyoung is in any. He slides almost dangerously through the marbled floors as he reaches for the woman they were talking to earlier. It won’t be long before he’s here.

“I see you still know my arsenal and tastes. And i saw the other thing too. You know i can’t keep it.” Yuta chimes in again, a serious tone now lacing his voice.

“I’m giving it to you, so it’s only right for you to take it. Besides, i’m sure you’ll put it to better use than me, then us, really. Sooner too. Taeil there hasn’t grown balls to do it yet,” Doyoung sneers when Taeil awkwardly coughs and clears his throat. He sees Jungwoo opening the door to the balcony, so he takes a deep breath and says “so, please, keep it. Keep him, okay?”.

09:00 PM and Jungwoo lunges himself at Doyoung, hand trying to reach his ear. Doyoung turns his foot on one of the railing bars to keep himself steady and lays backwards and away from Jungwoo, the railing pressing against his lower back. He still has some time before leaving so he speaks again.

“To the chief of your job, Mr. Boss,” Doyoung says, voice dripping arrogance and a little challenge. “Your orders might change. Don’t hesitate just because i know your team. I’m returning the comm so i’ll be just as clueless as a normal target would. May the best win tonight.” And, just like that, he returns the small device to Jungwoo. He had a feeling he wouldn’t hear anything from the other part even if he waited. He feels more excited than he had felt in a while. But right now it’s not the time for it, so Doyoung collects himself, observing the panoply of terrified expressions weaving through Jungwoo’s semblance.

“Keep what, Yuta hyung?” Jungwoo hears Mark, designated driver of their van, their way out of the place in case they need to escort their employer, ask. Jungwoo cracks a small _what?_ to express how lost he is. He hears Jae speak next, remembering seeing him leaving an occupied stool for a lone one, where he could communicate with them more freely. “Yeah Yuta hyung, care to explain to us why you and Jungwoo’s bestie are apparently bros?”. _What!?_ is all Jungwoo can utter again and he feels like he can’t process and form coherent thoughts anymore. He feels his throat growing dryer as he tries to speak. “Boss?” He also faintly feels his hands numbing. Could it be from the cold?

09:10 PM, Doyoung’s watch shows after a while. He slowly walks to the door. “Well as entertaining as one might think this is, i have to go back inside.” Jungwoo makes out only part of his sentence as Moon overlaps his voice when he questions their boss on how they should proceed. What Doyoung says before closing the door behind him, however, Jungwoo hears loud and clear.

“Yuta, tell me where Doyoung is going please.” His boss’ voice echoes in his head. Jungwoo mumbles a small _boss_ but he wasn’t heard. He supports himself on the railing, feeling the numbness taking over his legs too.

Yuta quickly quips. “Doyoung is facing the window and is now on a stool with the woman from before. In front of him is also a man marked as a target. Can't see his face.”

Jungwoo starts losing focus of his sight and the fear takes over his body and mind. “Boss!” He pleads.

“Jungwoo?” The man in question asks, concerned. “What’s wrong, Jungwoo?”.

He feels hot streaks prickling his cheeks and he says, hiccuping a little. “Doyoung. He- he poisoned me.”

A series of interjections blows his earpiece and he uses the sound to stay awake, or else he would have probably fainted. His boss’ voice comes rushed and anxious from the other side.

“Jae, please go to Jungwoo and take him to a hospital if you find it necessary.” Their boss groans, clearly frustrated about this turn of events “Yuta, get ready to shoot Doyoung at my signal.” He pulls his own hair as he tries to make sense of Doyoung’s decisions. He goes over everything in his head again. Suddenly he jolts and turns to Moon, who’s seated across him and has at least three screens shielding his face, frantically typing something away. “No, this ain’t right. Why would Doyoung do such a flashy robbery? This ain’t his style. Moon, please find if the woman he's with has any connections with our employer.”

09:15 PM. As he waits for the information, Yuta intervenes. “Uh, boss? I just saw a small fluorescent cloud coming out of the flowers. I know i’m no biologist but i’m pretty sure photosynthesis doesn’t do that.” He gets up from his chair and starts pacing around the van, racking his brain trying to find the missing piece from this whole show Doyoung’s doing. Taeil provides it when he relays the intel from the computer. “Apparently, Miss here is our employer’s sister's granddaughter. She’s staying in his house for this auction. They don’t even share the same surname and she isn't known to the public, meaning no news over her stay at his house, so it didn’t show up in our first guest run-through.” He can practically see the lamp over his boss’ head light up.

“Fuck, okay. I doubt what you saw is a poisonous gas, Yuta, as if it was, it would also intoxicate Doyoung. But still, if he’s here to steal the host’s diamond necklace that’s being sold, why would he be associated with our employer’s niece...” He thinks. Doyoung mentioned he was with her yesterday. Yesterday. Yesterday… _Yesterday i marked potential enemies to your employer._ “Shit. Of course.” He elaborates most for himself than for the others. “Doyoung said the chemicals marked up until three days. Yesterday he only marked our employer. Yuta, he is the person in front of Doyoung. See if there’s a trajectory where you can hit Doyoung without hitting him in addition.”

Mark asks from the driver's seat. “Why would Doyoung mark him too?” Taeyong thinks about it.

Okay, Doyoung marked him to distract them. But distract them of what?

Why would a co-host of an auction he isn’t even participating or selling hire hitmen as bodyguards for himself in the first place?

Unless... “...unless he is also selling something. Illegal, it also seems. Since he hired us.” He mutters to himself. Realisation hits him there. “Doyoung’s gonna steal him too. Fuck.”

09:20 PM

As if spoken into existence, an alarm breaks inside the van, the one manually actionable by their employer when he’s in danger.

 _Fuck._ Of course, he’s going for the jackpot. “Yuta, shoot Doyoung.”

Yuta, instead of acknowledging his orders, informs his boss. “Boss, everyone is fainting. That gas definitely had something to it. Our employer just fainted right on top of Doyoung. I can’t shoot him without hitting him first.”

Their boss sights, thinking of alternatives. “Sun?” He calls. But all he gets from the other side is a fit of coughing. Feeling out of options, he resorts to his backup plan. He instructs Yuta. “Shoot him. Make it a place where our employer doesn’t get too much damage and we might still get paid after this.”

Yuta breathes in deeply and answers. “Copied, boss.”

He then exhales, and shoots.

09:10 PM

Doyoung returns inside and, instead of greeting some other attendees, he goes back to the woman he was with before, who is now accompanied. “Won’t you introduce me to this gentleman?” He says as a form of greeting.

The woman blushes and waves her arm between Doyoung and the other man. “Uncle, this is Doyoung. He’s here as a buyer for the auction. Doyoung, this is my uncle and the co-host of this event.”

Doyoung smiles as he shakes his hand. “It’s an honour to meet you. I’ve read a lot on your enterprises and, of course, heard wonders too from this beautiful lady next to me.” She smiles at him and tries to speak, but her words come off a bit juggled. The drink he gave her is already taking effect on her. Only a couple of minutes to go, Doyoung thinks. He then shifts the conversation topic to a rehearsed take on the man’s business, effectively distracting him.

09:20 PM

The room begins to morph into something out of a movie as people drop lifeless to the floor. The man Doyoung was indulging suddenly loses balance and falls forward but he readily catches him, sustaining his weight with his own body.

“There, i got you.” Doyoung says and the man was about to thank him, but he interrupts him. “Now, now, i think you have something for me?” He briefly looks at the man whose eyes are about to pop out in shock, before rummaging the insides of his jacket. It doesn’t take long until Doyoung finds the keys of a safe and is ready to drop the man to the floor before said man beats him to it, and let’s a small remote fall from his hand, the clatter of the steel on the marble screeching to his ears. The man is positively passed out in his arms, the dead weight heavier than before and he hisses. “Just what the fuck have you done?”

And then he hears it. Everyone in the room hears it, in fact, but only Doyoung feels it. And, fuck, it hurts.

All the people who were in the exhibit section and didn’t get poisoned gathered around the limp bodies scattered all over the floor. They all turn their heads to the sound at the now shattered window before a scream erupts through the hall and they all see a body bleeding into the white marble floor.

Yuta tells him the shot isn’t enough to kill Doyoung.

Donghyuck finally breaths into the earpiece. “Boss. I’m at the exhibition section, there’s no gas here so i’m good now. There are stairs at the end of this wing that leads to the parking lot. Didn’t Doyoung said to Jungwoo he came from there?”

There’s a beat of silence before he gets his answer. “Okay, Sun, you follow him there.”

But he knows Doyoung isn’t there. It would be too predictable. He checks the blueprints they acquired and after looking through it, he finds Doyoung’s way out. The wing on the other side of the building from the exhibition is connected to the neighbouring building, where all the staff and supplies for the gala are. He puts his jacket and leaves the van after telling the others about Doyoung’s escape route and telling Mark to take them all to the hideout so they can go home. He’ll relay all the remaining info about the payment to them first thing in the morning. He also lets them know the hospital Jaehyun took Jungwoo.

He sprints all the way to the back of the building where the door to the stairs and elevators is. Where it is _currently locked_. Fuck. He thinks about asking Taeil to open it for him but discards the thought in the next second as Taeil had only worked through the system firewall of the main building of the event. He decides to then run to the closest parking lot and, with a small wire he took from his jacket pocket, he opens the door to one of the older cars he finds there. Somewhere in his other pocket, his phone vibrates.

Doyoung didn’t actually think he was going to get shot, and he might have misjudged his rival in the first place. With the scorching pain flowing from his shoulder up until the tip of his calloused fingers, his hand drops the keys. He quickly places the man he was supporting on the floor and reaches for the keys, taking the moment everyone is still looking at the window to leave. Doyoung enters through one of the sides of the bathroom when he hears the scream. He looks at the pale skin covering his face and cleans the accumulated sweat on his forehead with his waist sash. He then proceeds to roll it around the junction of his shoulder and arm in a poor manner, using his good arm and teeth to knot it. He got lucky it was Yuta because, if the bullet had pierced an inch further from his arm, he would be bleeding his life away. 

He reaches for his suit jacket crumpled in between his legs and flips it inside out before putting it back on. His suit is now black so, when he leaves from the other side of the bathroom into the staff area, no one bats him an eye. A couple of them who were there that morning even greet them, since he was also there that morning. He flips his card through the card reader that opens him the door for the stairs he takes until he’s at the parking lot. Doyoung hastily gears himself and climbs on his motorcycle, leaving the garage and roaming into the city streets.

It’s ten minutes later when Doyoung reaches his destination and fishes out his phone for help. He finds himself in front of a small vet, run by the local college and calls the only person that works there he knows. 

“Taeyong? Hey. I’m sorry for the time, but i kind of need your help.” Doyoung tells him as he leans on the place’s wall, wincing at the pain. After he’s got a confirmation, Doyoung hangs up and lets his body slide down until he’s plopped on the ground, away from the post lamp so he doesn’t draw too much attention. He recounters all of tonight’s happenings and his mind wanders to the necklace he didn’t steal. Taeyong arrives somewhere in the middle of that.

After racking his eyes through the figure slouched at his feet, Taeyong quickly unlocks the vet front door and helps Doyoung inside, sitting him in one of the sterilised tables, pulling a bench for himself. He slowly starts undressing the man, careful to not hurt him, careful to not stare at his exposed torso. He lays Doyoung’s jacket in his legs, disposing the bloody sash on the sink and starts unbuttoning his shirt. He can feel Doyoung’s stare over him, but he has gotten used to that by now. Doyoung was an observing man, he had concluded some time ago. Still, Taeyong can’t help but to slightly shiver every time at his sudden physical demonstrations. Doyoung, who, in one second, was intently looking at him, as if he was reading him like a children’s book, is, in the next second, bringing his not injured hand up to Taeyong’s forehead, gently pressing his finger at its creases until they’re gone, caressing his cheek as his hand retreats to his side.

“You look really cute while frowning, but i don’t want you worried over me.” Doyoung speaks for the first time since they got there., all soft and caring. Taeyong had been good at not asking questions so far, so, even if his neck heats up at the words, he just says.

“It’s better if you look away now, this is going to hurt. The-” _bullet_ he was going to say but knows it’s off his limits. “It got through your shoulder so it’s good she’s not lodged inside, otherwise i couldn’t do anything for you. Still, closing everything won’t be kind on you.”

He gives his take on a comforting smile, caressing Doyoung’s other shoulder before grabbing his jaw and lightly turning his head to the side.

As a distraction from the searing pain, Doyoung's mind wanders again. He remembers his talk with Taeil, promising to himself to finally pay him a visit after all this is over. He thinks about Yuta and hopes he’s not chastising himself for having shot him. He promises to pay him a visit as well. Taeyong must now be disinfecting the wound before closing it because it stings. He would give hand on today’s prize only to have a bottle of vodka right now. He grabs a rag from the sink and uses it to clean the dry blood from his abdomen. He then thinks about Jungwoo. How his friend, his _clearly_ inept friend, got himself there and how wrong it could have all gone wrong if he wasn’t there to cover his lies. Hell! Jungwoo wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place.

Taeyong is now patching his stitches but Doyoung can’t stop thinking about the missing piece to make all this fall into place. To make it make sense. But then, he realises what’s missing. Not the metaphorical piece, but a very solid, actual one. His eyes widened at the realisation and he slowly lifts his head to look at Taeyong, who has no more creases between his eyebrows and a pout, but dark eyes and a smirk on his lips. And, on his hand, _the keys._

“ _Surprise._ ” Taeyong melodically says to Doyoung, keys dangling at his finger and tingling from hitting each other.

“You’re... their boss.” Doyoung states incredulously. “Fuck. What? They pay you that bad that you shot your employer to have his jewels?” He fruitlessly tries to rationalise the actions of the man in front of him, his demeanour completely changed.

“You’re not so stupid yourself, i see. But i am somewhat disappointed you only brought me the keys and left the necklace there.” Taeyong says wistfully as he shakes his head ‘no’.

Doyoung just stares at him, having half a mind to actually answer him, disdain slipping off his tongue. “I fucking got shot, in case you haven’t noticed. Also, thanks for that it seems.”

Taeyong laughs and gets closer to Doyoung, until his breath ghosts over his lips. “That’s too bad. You were supposed to behave and bring me both necklace and keys without having my team shoot my employer so i could get paid.” He comes even closer and, when he speaks, his lips are right on Doyoung’s ones “Then i would’ve had killed you properly.”

Taeyong’s words are spoken onto his mouth and Doyoung loses the half of mind he had, all strings attached. In a single motion, he reaches behind his back and pulls out a gun, placing it right on the other’s temple. He’s shaking, but he convinces himself it’s from the anger. Taeyong looks into his eyes like he’s beckoning him to do it, but when the other just stays frozen, he laughs and runs his tongue over Doyoung’s lower lip. He taps his head on the gun before getting up and making his way to the door. “If you were able to kill me, today we would have been on the same side.” And he leaves.

Leaves Doyoung with a patched wound and gun pointing at the door.

⁘

24.01.2019

Dongyoung meets Taeyong when his job goes wrong.

Dongyoung is a thief by blood and passion. When grown up in an orphanage, stray blood sometimes bounds over odd things. In Dongyoung’s case, bonds over two people. Getting easily bored, kid Dongyoung starts assaulting the orphanage library. He finds chemistry books and another reason to steal. He goes over all the storage rooms, looking for supplies to his experiences. He gives himself credit for not being caught so he gets bolder. He starts stealing from people too. Nothing too grand, just small things he can use on his experiments. Like perfume, which he read once it’s made with various chemicals. Figuring only the older kids would have it, he sneaks to their room at lunchtime. He locates a small bottle over a nightstand and swiftly makes his way over. As his hand looms over the container, he hears from behind him. “I wouldn’t do that if i were you.” The person giggles and he hears their footsteps coming closer. “I’ve been watching you and you’re good, i give you that. But you’re still naive.”

Doyoung feels his breath getting laboured, adrenaline kicking on him and, figuring he has no other way out, he turns around, _smiling,_ because this person just complimented his skill, receiving a hearted laugh this time. “Join us.” They say.

From that day on, Doyoung laches on Taeil and meets his other protegé, Yuta, the three of them becoming inseparable. Taeil suggests Doyoung to properly study chemistry as he could also use it on his tricks while tutoring Yuta on geography for his extra assignments for having beaten up the guys pestering Doyoung. They keep doing their stuff, as a team now, moving on to bigger targets, bigger places. Until Taeil is at college and Yuta is soon going to college as well and Doyoung is still at high school. And they talk about being hired for what they do, and other branches they could venture into to get more money. Along those lines, they mention people’s lives. Along those times, Doyoung leaves.

He moves to another city, and he majors there, meeting a few interesting individuals along the way. He goes back after hearing the talks of a prestigious painting from a museum doing a stopover there before reaching its final destination. It’s not the painting itself that Doyoung cares about, but the other smaller trinkets that take advantage of the ride to be moved as well. The security is usually weaker as most people aren’t even aware of the transport of anything besides the painting, so it should be easier money, Doyoung concludes. It might be a little risky, but he guesses he’s not that rusty to compromise his operation.

Okay, maybe Doyoung had overestimated his condition. Stealing the artefacts had gone as he planned. But his escape, out of the paper and onto some streets he wasn’t even familiar, made his life a bit harder. Some guards caught up to him and did him good. When he finally loses them, he finds himself in a small alley in some commercial neighbourhood. There, a little sign catches his attention and he tries his luck. He looks inside from the window and, assessing it’s empty, he ventures into the vet clinic. At the counter stands a man, vibrant blue hair flopping onto his forehead, framing a face of impactful yet soft features, dozing off due to the lack of movement. It’s understandable, since it’s almost four in the morning, so Doyoung doesn’t take it personally when the doctor almost has a heart attack after Doyoung lightly hits the counter to get his attention. His state must be a bit deploring as well but, when he shows _Taeyong_ , as his nameplate reads, his stab wound, the man promptly helps him, asking no questions.

Next time Doyoung ventures into that area, he goes to a small cafe but with a steady income of customers, in hopes it’s good. As if planned, after getting his drink, as he makes his way out, he notices Taeyong in a corner table with books and papers splashed over his table, his own coffee dangerously close to falling from being pushed to the corner to give space to his materials. Doyoung doesn’t want to disturb but he also doesn’t think a better opportunity to thank him will appear. So he goes to him.

Taeyong beckons him to seat after hurriedly grabbing his papers and shoving them to a chair next to him. With introductions out of the way, they talk the rest of the afternoon, easily switching through topics, work long forgotten in the chair.

They keep meeting each other after that day. Doyoung starts to show up at the vet to make Taeyong company, usually bringing drinks from the cafe Taeyong liked and some pastries that seemed tasty. They waste the nights away talking about everything, the conversation always flowing between them. Doyoung thinks he hasn’t met such an interesting person in a long time, smiling as he sees Taeyong playing with some puppies before being pulled to join them.

One day, as he is making breakfast at Taeyong’s kitchen, he sees in the mail pile a flyer about an auction for a diamond necklace, belonging to a very well-off family. He shakes his head and puts the plates with the food in the tray, bringing them to the bedroom, where he wakes up Taeyong before leaving for work. As he goes to the door, hand grabs the flyer and shoves it into his hoodie pocket.

A month after, Doyoung starts planning the robbery. He tried not to, the paper crumpled on the insides of his sweatshirt for over a week. But then, news started speaking on the matter, presenting the prestigious guests already confirmed. Doyoung’s interest was picked, so he tried to get the whole list for himself to study potential targets.

After some digging through the most influential attendants, Doyoung discovers that the event will have a co-host. He knows better than the man wasting his money for when he isn’t even announced as a sponsor for the event, so he must gain something from this ordeal. He also finds the man’s niece and that is something he can work with.

He bumps into her somewhere into the wealthy neighbourhood she’s staying and, conveniently, just in front of a flower shop. She drops her drink, so Doyoung, like the gentleman that he is, offers to buy her another one and even buys a flower bouquet as an apology. Getting her into bed after that is easy.

Doyoung starts working part-time in said flower shop a few weeks later. They needed more people to ease the workload for the upcoming event, so Doyoung applied there. He’s got his way out and he has fun doing flower arrangements. Sometimes even sneaks a rose or two to give to Taeyong. As one of the people who’ll bring and arrange the flowers at the venue, he can hide a small gas container (inside the perfumed flower arrangement) that, after inhaled for at least thirty minutes, can be catalysed by solution a small device (inside the remaining bouquets) will pulverize.

The woman one night tells him about his uncle’s own auction, taking place on the same evening of the gala, just a little more secluded. With the main event as a front for the other sale, Doyoung would be dumb if he doesn’t kill to birds with one stone.

Meeting Jungwoo wasn’t in his plans. The man shows up one day at the flower shop someone had recommended to him to buy some flowers and maybe finally getting courage talking to his crush. He can’t say he’s not utterly shocked when said crush is in front of him, attending him. He musters all his courage and, after introducing himself as a bartender from the cafe Doyoung religiously gets his drinks from, he scores a date. Doyoung noticed from the beginning Jungwoo’s intentions with him were serious but he waits until their date is over to tell him he’s isn’t the right person for Jungwoo to fall in love with. Jungwoo, after leaving teary-eyed and heartbroken, gives him the cold shoulder for a couple of weeks before coming back to him as if nothing had ever happened. They became close friends after it.

Two weeks before the gala, Doyoung gets an invite as a buyer. One week before the gala, the real fun starts. Doyoung spends a good time of his days arranging bouquets at the flower shop and, in his vacant time, he follows potential targets of _his_ targets to mark them. Yuta had called him the other day and told him about his job for the gala, figuring the chances of Doyoung planning something on the same night weren’t so low. They brush over the surface of both operations and, deeming them not detrimental to one another, they jump onto some small talk to catch up. Yuta mentions, at some point, Minhyung, a veterinary student and ‘the love of his life’, Yuta’s words. Doyoung is happy for him.

The countdown starts as he leaves the mansion at dawn, leaving the woman he’ll never see again after today sleeping and her uncle’s suit marked. He jogs to his house, the brisk air constricting his lungs and tousling his hair. It’s refreshing and helps him clear his mind for tonight.

For all the ways Doyoung theorised on how his operation could have gone, this was far from them.

He hadn’t totally discarded the shooting option, but, as he sits in the dark inside the small vet, the only thing he could do is laugh.

Taeyong hasn’t seen Doyoung since. It has been a month and he is as good as dead for all it seems. In the meantime, Taeyong pays his team after the cash from his employer, who only got a scratch from the bullet, drops on his bank account. He had returned his keys, but not before wiping clean his safe. He buys a new apartment and takes vacations from the vet.

The rest of his days are, however, dull. He misses having a routine, sleeping into the afternoon without someone to wake him up, or having just one more drink before going to bed to wait for someone who won’t come.

Taeyong reasons his means, a price he had to pay for his end. He figures he just needs time to readjust to his life again.

Jungwoo was discharged the day after the gala, his drink having solely a laxative and a strong somniferous powder. Taeyong sporadically goes check on him, like tonight.

The air is cold as they are in the middle of winter and it’s already night time when he gets home. He unlocks the door and his ears. in the middle of the dead silence, perk up at the clink of glass. Slowly closing the door, Taeyong moves to his living room, hand reaching the closest kitchen drawer from him and palming the top of its inside only to find it empty.

“Looking for your gun?” A voice resounds through Taeyong’s bare apartment walls and he’s sure he can feel its vibrations on his body. It’s a weird feeling, listening to his voice after engraving in his brain that its owner is dead for him, out of his sight, out of his mind. Instead of dwelling in it, Taeyong presses the switch, a white flash momentarily blinding him before disclosing the man reclined on a leather armchair, a gin on one hand and his gun on the other.

Taeyong, keeping a safe distance, stays at the door, leaning on its frame, eyebrow raised and, for better or for worse, curiosity picked. “Why are you here Doyoung?”

Doyoung straightens himself, placing an elbow on his knee, face resting on top of the gun on his head. He is an observant person and Taeyong sees it in his eyes, the way he’s looking at something that amuses him. He would have found it flattering on any other occasion. “You know moving places doesn’t keep me from finding you right? I have questions for you left unanswered.”

Taeyong raises his eyebrow at him. Is Doyoung curious on how he pulled it off? He asks him. Doyoung only cocks his head to the side, so Taeyong takes it as a sign to proceed. He takes a seat on the sofa next to him and starts clarifying things for Doyoung.

“The first night you came to me it took me no more than five minutes to recognise you. Being a hired assassin, you are always up to date with the bigger bounties. And let me tell you, you had a good amount of people coming for your head, being the face of your little crew. Until you disappeared. I thought you had gotten killed, if i’m being honest. But then, one day, you materialize yourself out of nowhere and right into my workplace. I found it funny really, even more after meeting you again at the coffee shop. Proven true to your reputation of being observant. Do you remember?”

_Next time Doyoung ventures into that area, he goes to a small cafe but with a steady income of customers,_ remembering the name from the coffee Taeyong had behind the counter _, in hopes it’s good._

“Jungwoo, he was a funny variable. After going to the cafe all those times to grab our drinks, the boy was head over heels for you. I really thought you two would become a thing, but by being friends his intel was more reliable, so thanks for that.”

_Meeting Jungwoo wasn’t in his plans. The man shows up one day at the flower shop_ Taeyong _had recommended to him to buy some flowers and maybe finally getting the guts to talk to his crush. ... He musters all his courage and, after introducing himself as a bartender from the cafe Doyoung religiously gets his drinks from,_ Taeyong’s request _, he scores a date. Doyoung noticed from the beginning Jungwoo’s intentions with him were serious but he waits until their date is over to tell him he’s isn’t the right person for Jungwoo to fall in love with._ As he learns why the following week, having hit rock bottom and accepting the job offer from Taeyong for the money and an explanation on Doyoung’s background.

“I heard about the gala and decided it was an opportunity to test you, see if you were still into heists. I was hired to protect one of the hosts so i figured ‘why not?’.”

_... he sees in the mail pile a flyer_ Taeyong left there _about an auction for a diamond necklace, belonging to a very well-off family._

“You, as expected, took the bait and all there was left to me was to find a team. It came together faster than expected. I had a kid trying to pickpocket me one day, Donghyuck, i think you remember him, and, after checking him up, finding out he was a bit of an all-rounder, i invited him to take part in the job. How surprised i am when the boy links me to your old pal, Taeil. He got in after a bit of convincing and told me about your past when i told him you were planning on robbing the necklace. Minhyung, who studies with me and is sort of an apprentice of mine, joined as well roping, would you guess, your other lifetime friend, Yuta. It was a fun plan to put off, especially because you kept surprising me. But it’s over now. So if you have no more questions, feel free to see yourself out.”

Doyoung now has both of his arms on his legs, whole upper body leaning forward, paying the utmost attention to Taeyong. He always behaved like there was no one else besides Taeyong when they were with each other. His piercing gaze is disconcerting. He spends a few moments absorbing the information before speaking.

“If you’re done, i will now ask the right questions.” Taeyong is caught off guard by this and his body tenses. Right questions? “Question number one. Did you get what you wanted?” Doyoung asks, a teasing tone coating his voice.

_What?_ What is Doyoung asking? Is he fucking kidding? “What are you asking? If i got what i wanted? Well, no, because you didn’t do your fucking job and i got only half of my prize. Are you here to give it to me? Uh?”

Doyoung laughs. “I’m afraid i came here empty-handed.” He shakes his hands, one with his drink, the other with Taeyong’s gun, to show him they’re empty. “What i mean is if after getting what you ‘wanted’, were you satisfied by it? If i had never come back to talk to you, if i left this place now and disappeared from your life, if you had actually killed me, would you be satisfied?” Doyoung asks again and Taeyong wants to say ‘yes’, he would be satisfied and move on with his life, but he makes no sound. At the silence, Doyoung keeps going.

“I don’t think you are and i think you have come to realise that in this month i gave you, even if you don’t admit it yet. I thought you knew better, but involving yourself in the life of your target is always hard and you just had bad luck you liked my company. Can i move to the second question?” Taeyong is not sure he trusts his voice, so he just moves his head up and down. Doyoung moves to the couch.

“Question number two. Didn’t you stop to consider if the information you got from Taeil, my childhood friend, could in any way not be the truth?” No. No, no, no, no. What is Doyoung saying? Taeyong’s mind tells him to back away but his body is used to Doyoung’s warmth. Fuck this.

“The ring i gave to Yuta.” Doyoung continues. “Think about it. What was the ring.”

Taeyong knows this, but why is Doyoung mentioning it now? He answers to discover. “A wedding ring.”

“A wedding ring, right. But was it just a simple ring?” Taeyong looks to his fidgeting hands resting on his lap. He looks up at Doyoung when he gets it. “It wasn’t just a simple ring. It was a family ring. Right?”

“There you go. First mistake. I didn't leave because i disagreed with Taeil's and Yuta's morals. Some uncle of mine found out i was alive and took me with him. That was when i got out of the picture.” Doyoung leans his side on the couch's back, never breaking eye contact with Taeyong.

"Second mistake. Wasn't it a little too easy to hire a kid that robs you, who is acquainted with Taeil and both of them being called Sun and Moon? Tell me, Taeyong, does the name _Haechan_ ring any bells to you?" Taeyong doesn't even know what to think. Donghyuk was his trump card. But Haechan, the name sounds familiar alright.

"What does Haechan mean, Taeyong?" And there he gets it. _Ha._

"Haechan was a rising thief some time ago, but then he also disappeared. And Haechan, Haechan means full sun. Full sun a.k.a. _my_ Donghyuck. Is that how you know him? From both of you doing the same thing?" Taeyong feels it slowly sinking in.

"Haechan, meaning indeed full sun, is actually _my_ creation. The years i was away, i took him under my wing and taught him everything i know. I was actually the one who introduced him to Taeil, who, if you care to remind me, as i'm sure you know, works where?"

Taeyong just doesn't know how to react anymore to everything Doyoung tells him. He just lets himself sway along with Doyoung's take on his defeat. "He works in the tech department of the gala's host enterprises. Was a hacker before."

Doyoung, having left what he was holding on the coffee table, claps his hands once, letting them fall over Taeyong's knees. "Bingo. You, my dear, trapped yourself by hiring them who, before that, hired me. Even searching and following them you wouldn’t be able to find the connection between us. Growing up with a hacker makes you master untraceable ways of communication, you know? You, in fact, made all the work for _their_ heist. By staying close to the building, where his boss lives, Taeil had access to their personal network and, therefore, personal bank accounts, which he made sure were wiped clean after he finished. In the meantime, Donghyuck, staying all the time in the exhibition wing, just had to wait for you to send him after me so he could grab the necklace and have an easy way out of the place, personal chauffeur and everything. You see now, what _really_ happened?"

Taeyong, digesting everything, takes a moment to look properly at Doyoung. His expression is clouded by confusion after a few seconds. "What about you?" He inquires.

Doyoung asks for enlightenment. "What about me?"

Taeyong takes hold of one of his hands. He missed this touch. "Why did you do it?" He asks. "Why do all this when you don't profit from it? Why get involved with me when i was just a piece to their game, not even yours? I know you Doyoung, you don't do things without a goal set for them."

Doyoung looks at Taeyong and gently caresses the back of his hand with his thumb. "That's right, you do know me. I was the entertainer, the decoy where the attention was drawn to. That's what i'm good at. In their game, where you were just a pawn, so was i. In mine however, you, Taeyong, you were the endgame. I did all this to see if, after everything was over, you'd look at what we have and deem it just part of your plan, a necessary meaning you fueled for your ends, or if somewhere along the way, something real made its way into your heart." All this time, when Taeyong thought he had the upper hand, Doyoung had already won the game, just waiting for Taeyong to finish it while keeping him interested. All the steps he carefully planned so that Taeyong's decisions would come back at him and leave on edge, eager for more. He's amazed by the man in front of him.

Doyoung sighs and his hands travel all the expanse of Taeyong's thighs up until they settle on his hips, pulling him closer and resting their foreheads together. Taeyong's hands find way to the other's forearms, running small circles with the tips of his fingers.

"I really wanted to kill you that time, you know? When you said you were supposed to kill me. You sound too real. That’s why i need to know. I need you to tell me if you also love me. If you don't, if killing me is what you still want, we have your gun there. If all this comes to that, then..." Doyoung halts to look at Taeyong, through his eyes and directly to his soul, conveying everything he can in his next words. "May the best win tonight."

And then Taeyong kisses him.

**Author's Note:**

> and that's it (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
> 
> this was basically doyoung thinking he's smarter than taeyong, taeyong being 'no bitch i'm smarter than you' and doyoung throwing a reverse uno card at him  
> all that with taeyong thinking doyoung fucking up his operation is the best love demonstration he could've received
> 
> (the minhyung mentioned is mark)
> 
> hope this was interesting to read  
>  _[moodboard ](https://pin.it/4HAhCgO)_
> 
> pls spare kudos/coments kind reader


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